Aging-Friendly Characteristics In-Depth

The environments where people grow up, work, live, and age influence our health and wellbeing throughout our life, also known as social determinants. The context, situations, and systems that people are exposed to also causally shape our outcomes throughout life. How you choose to use the assessment should be based on your community’s needs, the goals of the group you are presenting to, how much time the group has to commit to this, etc. In this section, each of the 13 characteristics are described, including data sources that may be helpful; activities that can help spur thinking and understanding; success stories from Wisconsin and beyond, and resources and ideas communities can use when formulating their next steps. When planning your program, some or all of these tools may be useful. 

• For data-driven groups, we also include suggestions of data sources that can support the assessment of and conversation surrounding the current age-friendliness of each characteristic. It is important to talk about the causes of the demographic change and solutions. This helps people to see this as an opportunity and not a threat. Considering concrete data – often readily available in departmental and administrative records – can help community leaders better understand this issues and supplement their own subjective experience and what they have heard from their constituents. For example, one aging-friendly metric evaluates whether “pedestrian crossings are sufficient in number and safe for people with different levels and types of disability, with nonslip markings, visual and audio cues and adequate crossing times”. Your community may be able to obtain information on the proportion of pedestrian crossings with nonslip markings, informing your evaluation of this criterion. You and your stakeholders are the most knowledgeable about what information will be available and useful. Some general data resources might include:

1. 1. AARP Livability Index
   2. County Health Rankings
   3. Applied Population Lab
   4. The report “Livable Community Indicators for Sustainable Aging in Place” has numerous suggestions of indicators and data sources, some of which are highlighted below

• Other groups will connect better with activities that help them think about the needs of their aging community members related to each characteristic – we therefore include some activity suggestions. The goal of these activities is to help participants step into the shoes of an older adult. Activities should help participants to realize we are all aging and as we age we need different options and supports in place to help us flourish, stay active, and make the most of this earned leisure
• Success stories and resources are provided to help you identify the possible next steps for improving the aging-friendliness of each characteristic. Highlighting concrete solutions will help your audience to engage in outcome and systems level thinking. It is important that the audience view this as an opportunity for collaboration and innovation, rather than a threat or crisis. The creativity and community knowledge of each group will dictate the best next steps – the examples included in this section are simply to help spur their thinking and highlight successes in other communities. Some general ideas for next steps may also come from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps “What Works for Health”

Best Practices: 

These best practices are based on the research and trainings on reframing aging by the Frameworks Institute. Regardless of the audience you are talking to or what aging related topic you may be discussing, these are best practices to follow when you use this toolkit or presentation. 

• First, it is important to present why this topic is important and why it matters. Here, we use value statements to answer this question. Values like ingenuity and justice have been found to work best to help establish why these issues matter. 
• Next, we want to use an explanatory technique or metaphor to explain how aging can be more positive and what needs to be in place for that to occur. The Frameworks Institute has found that the metaphor of building moment works well with the value of ingenuity. For the value of justice, the Frameworks Institute talks about using the explanatory technique of confronting injustice where you define and offer examples of ageism. It is also helpful to explain implicit bias and how that can influence our judgements of others. 
• Finally, it is essential to end the conversation with concrete, structural and policy level solutions. We want to close with a satisfying resolution so the audience feels like something can be done about this problem. Closing with solutions like intergenerational community centers helps the audience to have a thorough understanding of what this particular solution might offer our community. This will also prevent people from thinking of this as another social problem that nothing can be done.  
• Avoid phrasing as “us vs them.” Regardless of who we are, we are all aging and this conversation impacts all of us. Frame your discussions with inclusive language like “us” and “we” instead of labeling older adults as “them” or “they”
• Watch the terms we use to talk about aging. Adopt references as “older adult” or “older person” instead of labeling people as seniors or elders. 
• Talk about this as an exciting opportunity for change and collaborative solutions instead of using crisis frames, such as the “age wave” or “silver tsunami.”

The survey focuses on these thirteen areas (listed here) of community living that affect the quality of life of all residents of a community.  Explore these or continue with: Evaluation and Impact.